Occupational demands are increasingly requiring consumers to eat their meals away from home while traveling in vehicles or waiting in airport, bus, and railway terminals. As a result, carry-out service at restaurants has gained in popularity. These restaurants may provide their carry-out customers with one carry-out container for holding food and either another carry-out container or no container at all for holding a beverage. Alternatively, the carry-out customers may be provided with a single container having an open compartment for holding food and a pocket for holding a beverage cup.
Carry-out food and beverage provided in the above manner are not conducive to being transported in a vehicle or being comfortably carried by a carry-out customer with one hand. For example, if the food and beverage are held in a single container with an open food compartment, the food can easily spill out of the open compartment. If the food is heated prior to being served to the customer, a problem is that the open compartment does not retain the heat. Further, carrying the food and beverage may interfere with the ability of the customer to handle other items, which, in the case of a business traveler, could include luggage, a briefcase, a portable computer, etc. If the carry-out customer is attempting to handle such other items along with the carry-out food and beverage, the customer may accidently drop one of the items or spill the food or beverage.